SELECTING THE RIGHT VIDEO CONFERENCING TOOL

There’s no denying that video conferencing is a key tool used for business communication today. It is a fast, simple, and efficient way to have discussions with clients and coworkers. A live, clear video conference while being able to see who you’re talking to is much more effective and personal than a phone call. A business of any size can benefit from using the right video tool.

If you’re still on the fence about whether you think your business really needs to find a video conferencing tool that works well for you, here are five reasons why adding this tool can make a big difference in daily workflows.

1. TAKE THE GUESS WORK OUT OF DECISION MAKING

A picture is worth a thousand words and being able to see people clearly, in focus, allows you to also see how your ideas and words resonate with people on the other side of the screen. When it comes to making key decisions, it may be helpful to get a few more perspectives in the same space. Video conferencing allows you to share screens with anyone participating in the conversation. This makes collaboration much more efficient by being able to share ideas in real-time.

If your video conference tool is multi-lingual, meaning it can reach any video language and standard hardware and software, you can reach any of your colleagues or clients.

3. SAVE MONEY AND INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

Planes, trains, and automobiles get real pricey. Using the right video conferencing tool allows all the right people to get together in a virtual environment, saving time and money. If the tool you choose offers both scheduled meeting video times and spontaneous jump on meetings, you’re golden.

4. GO FAR AND WIDE

Sometimes, it so happens that not everyone is in the office. Whether someone is out sick, working at home for the day, or on-site, the right video tool should be flexible and able to be used on a variety of devices including phones, tablets, and the office PCs.

5. ADD QUALITY TO YOUR MEETINGS

Free videoconferencing tools are easily available. Skype and Google Hangouts work great, but you’re in trouble when the Internet connection cuts out or gets glitchy. When you’re in the middle of an important video meeting, making important decisions, you need to be able to rely on the tool your using to deliver the highest quality.

With so many options out there to choose from, it’s important to know what to look for. There are many key features that a quality video tool should have available. Screen sharing, guest invite, video mail/chat, favorites, contacts list, HD voice and video quality, and ease of use and compatibility with current software.

GOOGLE HANGOUTS

Pros- free add-ons, free or low cost depending on account, useable on variety of platforms, works with other Google products, hold conference anywhere with Internet connection

Cons- lack of tech support, users need to create a phone number through ‘Google Voice’ in order to place calls, to share screens users need to use the Chrome Remote app, user must have Gmail and Google+ accounts,

SKYPE FOR BUSINESS

Pros- all employees are connected, users can create closed groups, users can see when their contacts are available, can be used anywhere with an internet connection, screen sharing is simple, document sharing is simple, able to record meetings, if the user misses your message, it will be sent as an email instead.

Cons- charges for additional features, to place a phone call you need to set up a phone number for a fee, if user doesn’t have Office 365, they need to pay additional $2 per month.

ZOOM

Pros- participate for free, high quality audio and video, screen sharing is easy, users can message during a conference, meetings are easy to record, create reoccurring meetings

Cons- no document sharing

GOTOMEETING

Pros- share documents in real time, no-hassle package of features, easily record meetings, easy to download app through a link to join the conversation, mobile friendly, able to host up to 1,000 attendees.

Cons- must have fast, error free Internet connection, doesn’t work well on older machines

POLYCOM

Pros- great tech support, state-of-the-art hardware and software, every function is controlled with one remote, camera follows whoever is speaking in the host location, displays in HD 1080p resolution.

Cons- a PolyCom tech must install the system, users must have PolyCom hardware for it to work, upgrades are expensive because the hardware updates every few years, software must be upgraded by PolyCom tech or certified third-party tech, expensive to maintain,